The Root of Shen Disturbance June 15, 2007
Posted by Geoffrey Wilson in : Psychology , trackbackThe focus of my clinical experience as a practitioner of oriental medicine for more than 20 years has ultimately been on the recovery of a patient’s psycho-emotional and spiritual balance. In terms of the oriental healing arts, this can be equated to the transpersonal exploration of Taoism and Buddhism as primary sources of both diagnostic and treatment protocol. Unfortunately, few realise that one of the essential aims of diagnosis is to unveil the subtle nature of inner turmoil. Even fewer understand that the main objective of treatment is to nourish the ‘abode of spirit’. In the clinic, this can be successfully accomplished first and foremost, by providing contemplative reference points for the patient, as well as lifestyle strategies that are able to serve as substantial and practical resources for personal transformation.
The ancient sages (as masters of reality) understood the cause of all physical, mental, emotional and spiritual afflictions to be a disturbance of the ‘shen’ (spirit). One can therefore readily appreciate the relevance of Buddhist and Taoist teachings to medicine. In fact, their influence on the evolution of the oriental healing arts is often hidden between the lines of every classic ever written. In some cases, the influence is obvious and apparent.
According to the teachings embodied in the classics of spiritual alchemy, the ‘rooting out’ of disturbance is achieved by governing the ‘five thieves’ (anger, excitement, worry, sorrow and fear) through the diligent application of the ‘five virtues’ (benevolence, compassion, sincerity, true justice and wisdom). When yin and yang divide and are no longer in complementary relationship, the five elements separate. To recover balance, the five elements must be properly assembled again. The restoration of yin and yang involves making use of what is called ‘the firing process’ – the elimination of negative, harmful and destructive behaviour in order to cultivate stability and calm.
In a clinical context, a patient’s psycho-emotional demeanour predicates not only the nature of dysfunction within the organ systems, but the kinds of devices required to be employed in the salvage operation. To the extent that ‘sadness and worry move the heart and the organs tremble’, lifestyle modifications are mandatory and within them, behavioural adjustments of a kind that significantly alter the way a challenge is approached.
Diagnostic skill relies upon personal development and cultivation as much as the capacity to administer refined treatment depends on heightened sensitivity and freedom from the distractions of emotional interference. Diagnostic skill and treatment excellence are spiritual qualities and ultimately the practice of oriental medicine is a spiritual journey for both the practitioner and patient alike. It is governed by the aim to recover a meaningful relationship to ‘spirit’ and of course, the ‘Tao’.
The consummate practitioner will address the patient’s disorder as a spiritual phenomenon. Psycho-emotional stability can only be truly recovered when self-knowledge is used to flesh out and expose whatever ‘leaks’ may exist in the proverbial ‘hull’. This usually requires a comprehensive investigation of the patient’s motives, pursuits, intentions, fears, cravings and desires. Indeed. How can the patient discover equilibrium if the Mind is burdened by the excesses of emotional unrest?
The art of restoration for the practitioner offering treatment then, is to precisely identify the source of the presenting problems and then design strategies to correct them. The diagnosis will have confirmed the dangers implied by the pursuit of specific lifestyle practices that injure the organs and the treatment plan must necessarily focus on eliminating these dangers.
Regardless of whether or not a practitioner strictly adheres to following either Taoist or Buddhist protocol, the patient must be able to walk away from a clinical session having experienced a shift in perspective. This includes engaging in some kind of transformational process whereby awareness of the problem and its challenges is heightened and the means to achieve it is thoroughly addressed.
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Perhaps setting up an appointment with a skilled practitioner will hasten the process of your recovery. It is possible to deal with the problem and rectify what is unbalanced.
Thankyou for the information regarding the Shen. I have been through terrible emotional and financial trauma over the past two years and blew my thyroid out, developed terrible bruising in the medial eye area inside the bridge of the nose and thought I had some life threatening disease. Even though i felt well I looked terrible especially when I ate certain foods and the pain in the eyes was a dull ache. reading your article I have a better understanding of what has been happening in my body, Thankyou and now i can begin the heal properly.jan